Data from Dating Apps Show What Men and Women Really Want in a Partner

Dating apps and online dating sites were once taboo, but now theyre a source for millions of people to find happiness. In order to make better matches, these sites ask for personal information such as likes, dislikes, lifestyles, and more. As a result, tons of data has been accumulated by these companies. After a thorough analysis, one app’s data shows what men and women want in a partner.

The information comes from The League, a new highly selective dating app that targets ultra-educated and successful professionals. The results of their study showed what people wanted in a partner. This is handy knowledge for those looking for success, both in life and love.

Data from the app isn’t perfect, though. The app is only available to middle and upper class people in New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It also focuses on a median age of 28, and 95 percent of the users are straight. This yields a fairly inaccurate overall picture, but it’s still information worth considering.

Here are some of the key findings of the data.

Those With Great Profiles Got the Most Attention

The League lets you heart those who you find most attractive. Data showed that great profiles led to the most hearts. These profiles included high quality photos, in which subjects dressed to their body types and paid extra attention to their hair. About 75 percent of these popular profiles showed men and women wearing professional clothing, like suits and skirts for men and women.

If profiles were fully filled out with information reflecting positive attributes, users also received more attention. For example, the most attractive straight women were at a median age of 25 and worked in education and communications. The most attractive straight men were in their late twenties and talked about their jobs in finance, medicine, and real estate.

This information holds true for any dating profile. Jeff Gibbard, President and Chief Strategist of True Voice Media, shares how he met his wife on an online dating site. He says that his profile was key to making the match, and gives the following suggestion:

“Your profile is your calling card. It’s your first impression with any potential match, so don’t cut corners. When writing your profile, set yourself up for dating success by:”

  • Writing the profile for your audience, not for yourself
  • Including only the necessary components
  • Excluding irrelevant information
  • Being clear about what you want

Men and Women Both Like the Other Person to Make the First Move

In a group of high-powered professionals using a dating app like The League, power is very attractive. Female CEOs were among the most attractive in the apps database, and men found it very appealing when these women made the first move.

Overall, however, true to traditional standards, women still prefer the man to make the first move. They particularly expect this from male executives. There was no difference in reply rates between when a man messaged first and when a woman messaged first, showing that it doesn’t really matter who makes the first move.

Amanda Bradford, the CEO and founder of The League app, told Forbes that she sees this as a good sign. “I think the results clearly show that our dating culture IS changing,” Bradford said. “Equality is in our reach.”

Downtown Manhattan Is the Region of Choice for the Most Attractive Dating People

Though the results of the study were skewed by the small, extremely selective population of people using the app, the data shows that the five most appealing neighborhoods for both men and women were almost all in downtown Manhattan.
Apparently, the Big Apple is the place to be if you’re looking for a highly successful love match.

Melissa Thompson
Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn't know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.